The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday raided multiple locations in the National Capital Region in connection with its probe related to the recent seizure of 2,988 kg of heroin at Gujarat's Mundra port, an official said.
The searches are being carried out at five locations in Delhi and Noida.
The federal agency early this month took over the case from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on directions of the Union Home Ministry and registered a criminal complaint under sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
Raids were carried out by the NIA soon after filing the case too.
The case relates to the seizure of 2,988.21 kg of narcotic substance (heroin) at Mundra port and the involvement of foreign nationals in the procurement and delivery of the consignment, an NIA official had said.
On September 13, the DRI detained two containers that had arrived at Mundra Port from Kandahar in Afghanistan via Bandar Abbas port of Iran.
The declaration accompanying the containers claimed they had "semi-processed talc stones".
However, a thorough examination had established that the two containers in fact contained 2,988 kg of heroin worth Rs 21,000 crore, which was concealed in "the lower layers" of "jumbo bags" topped with talc stones, an official release had said.
The DRI had arrested eight persons, including five foreign nationals, in connection with the seizure of the drugs
Searches were then conducted by the NIA in Chennai, Coimbatore and Vijayawada at premises of the accused.
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